Nov. 30, 2010

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North Carolina Game Notes in PDF Format

IOWA CITY, Iowa - THE SETTING
The University of Iowa women's basketball team will play its first true road game of the season Thursday, traveling to Chapel Hill to face the #14/15 North Carolina Tar Heels in the fourth annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Tip-off at Carmichael Auditorium is set for 6 p.m. (CT).

AUDIO COVERAGE
Brent Balbinot and Shelley Till will call Thursday's game for the Hawkeye Radio Network. Hawkeye fans can listen to the contest on AM-800 KXIC in Iowa City, AM-600 WMT in Cedar Rapids, AM-1040 WHO in Des Moines or on the Hawkeye All-Access page of hawkeyesports.com. Balbinot is in his seventh season as Iowa's play-by-play voice, while Till is in her sixth providing analysis.

ON YOUR COMPUTER
Hawkeye fans can follow the game via live stats (Gametracker). The "GT" link can be accessed under the "Calendar" tab on the front page of hawkeyesports.com or on the women's basketball schedule page.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 1,042 games, since beginning basketball in 1974. Iowa's overall record is 636-406 (.610). That includes a 318-158 (.668) mark in regular season Big Ten contests and a 300-87 (.775) mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

WIN NO. 300 AT HOME
The UI women's basketball program picked up victory No. 300 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena with a 90-79 win over Central Michigan Nov. 21. The Hawkeyes have compiled a 300-87 (.775) record inside their home venue since it opened in 1983.

SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA
The #14/15 North Carolina Tar Heels are 7-0 on the season. North Carolina is averaging 91.9 points per game and holds a +44.6 scoring margin over its opponents. The Tar Heels are shooting .460 (245-533) from the field.

The Tar Heels won three games in three days in Hawaii over Thanksgiving Break. North Carolina defeated Washington State (93-55), Illinois (87-58) and Hawaii (91-57).

Italee Lucas leads the team with 18.4 points per game. Jessica Breland is next with 13.1 points and a team-best eight rebounds. Chay Shegog rounds out the double figure scoring averages at 11.7 points. Four more Tar Heels are averaging seven or more rebounds per contest.

NORTH CAROLINA VS. IOWA NOTES
• Iowa is 0-3 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge games. The Hawkeyes lost to Georgia Tech (76-57) at home in 2007, at Duke (71-47) in 2008 and at home to Boston College (72-67) in 2009.

• Thursday is Iowa's second-consecutive game against an ACC opponent. The Hawkeyes defeated Virginia Tech (72-43) in the Caribbean Challenge last Friday. Iowa will play two Big 12 opponents (Kansas State and Iowa State) in its next two contests.

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 2-0. Thursday will be the first matchup between the two schools that will not be played on a neutral court. Iowa won the first meeting, 106-81, in the Hilton Head Island Shootout in Hilton Head, SC, during the 1989-90 season. The second matchup was a 73-64 victory for the Hawkeyes over then-No. 16 ranked North Carolina in Myrtle Beach, SC, at the Carolinas Holiday Beach Classic during the 1995-96 season.

• Lisa Bluder is 7-3 in the first true road game of the season while at Iowa.

IOWA IN THE RANKINGS
The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 18 in both the AP and the ESPN/USA Today top 25.

Four Iowa opponents are also ranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls: Ohio State (6/6), North Carolina (14/15), Iowa State (19/17) and Michigan State (25/25).

Kansas State, Purdue, Northwestern and Penn State are receiving votes.

HAWKEYES LEAVE CANCUN WITH WIN OVER VIRGINIA TECH
Iowa improved to 7-0 on the season with a 72-43 win over Virginia Tech in the final game of the 2010 Caribbean Challenge in Cancun, Mexico.

Iowa took a 30-15 lead into the locker room at halftime and never looked back. The Hawkeyes were led by Jaime Printy with 15 points and six assists. Kelly Krei added 11 points while Kamille Wahlin chipped in 10.

The Hawkeyes shot a season-high .414 (12-29) from three-point distance. Printy and Krei made three long distance shots, while Wahlin, Kalli Hansen and Hannah Draxten each had two.

The Hawkeyes out-rebounded Virginia Tech, 42-35, and collected 17 offensive rebounds. Iowa also turned 23 Hokie turnovers into 24 points and received 26 points off the bench.

BLUDER CLOSING IN ON MILESTONE
Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder is just four wins away from becoming only the second coach in school history to reach the 200-win milestone.

Bluder currently has 196 wins in her 11 years at Iowa. C. Vivian Stringer is the only other Hawkeye head coach to reach the 200-win plateau at Iowa, finishing her time in Iowa City with 269 wins.

Ohio State Head Coach Jim Foster is the only other active Big Ten coach to have reached 200 wins at his/her current school.

HAWKEYES TIE SCHOOL RECORD AGAINST VIRGINIA TECH
Iowa tied a school record with 12 made three-pointers against Virginia Tech Nov. 26. Iowa went 12-29 from distance. The Hawkeyes made 12 three-pointers against Gonzaga (11/21/02) and Columbia (11/28/09).

OFF TO A FAST START
Iowa's perfect 7-0 start is the best start to a season under Head Coach Lisa Bluder since the 2004-05 campaign, when the Hawkeyes won their first 13 games. the 2009-10 Hawkeye team is the sixth in school history to win its first seven games. Below is a list of consecutive wins to start a season in Iowa women's basketball history.

1. 1987-88: 22 wins (C. Vivian Stringer)
2. 2004-05: 13 wins (Lisa Bluder)
3. 1993-94: 11 wins (C. Vivian Stringer)
4. 2009-10: 7 wins (Lisa Bluder)
1995-96: 7 wins (Angie Lee)
1991-92: 7 wins (C. Vivian Stringer)

HAWKEYES HITTING THE BOARDS
Iowa's rebounding numbers through its first seven games are impressive, as the Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in total rebounding (46.3 per game) and offensive rebounding (15.9).

The Hawkeyes have collected 39 more total rebounds and 23 more offensive rebounds through seven games this season than a year ago. Iowa's +8 rebounding margin this year is 5.3 points better than the same stat through seven games last year.

Kachine Alexander is Iowa's leading rebounder at 10 boards per contest. Her 18 rebounds against Central Michigan Nov. 21 are the most for any Big Ten player this season.

WINNING WITH DEFENSE
The Hawkeyes currently lead the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (.338) and rank third in scoring defense (56.3).

Last year through seven games, Iowa's field goal percentage defense was at .384 and the Hawkeyes were allowing 63.7 points per game.

AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
Iowa is currently tied for first in the Big Ten with a .798 free throw percentage. Jaime Printy leads the league at .960 (24-25) and Kachine Alexander is 11th at .815 (44-54). Four Hawkeyes have already attempted 20 or more free throws.

The Hawkeyes went a combined 41-46 from the charity stripe at the Caribbean Challenge. Iowa was 27-30 against James Madison and 14-16 vs. Virginia Tech.

MOVING UP CAREER CHARTS
Four Hawkeyes are currently working their way up the career records lists at Iowa.

• Kachine Alexander ranks 11th in career rebounding (685), 16th in career assists (250) and 30th in career scoring. She needs just seven more rebounds to move past Lisa Becker for 10th place on the rebounding list and three assists to move past Kristi Faulkner for 15th on the assists list.

• Morgan Johnson ranks sixth in career blocks (93) and needs just two more to move past Jamie Cavey into fifth place.

• Kamille Wahlin ranks seventh in career three-pointers made (124) and needs just two more to move past Johanna Solverson into sixth place.

• Jaime Printy ranks 11th in career three-pointers made (97) and needs 12 more to move past Jenna Armstrong and into the top 10 of the list.

ALEXANDER NAMED CO-BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kachine Alexander was named co-Big Ten Player of the Week Nov. 22 for her efforts against Bradley, Northeastern and Central Michigan. Alexander shared the weekly honor with Northwestern's Amy Jaeschke.

Alexander collected double-doubles in each of Iowa's three games and earned MVP honors at the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge.

Alexander's first double-double of the season came against Bradley, recording 14 points and 10 rebounds. Alexander was 8-10 from the free throw line and also had five assists and three steals.

Alexander started the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge with 21 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Northeastern, adding six assists, two steals and a block.

She wrapped up the tournament MVP award with 20 points and 18 rebounds against Central Michigan in the championship.

Alexander has now been named Big Ten Player of the Week five times in her career.

She was a two-time award winner as both a sophomore and junior.

HAWKEYES LAND ON ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS
Senior Kachine Alexander was named MVP of both the Islander Tip-Off Tournament and the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge. Kamille Wahlin was named to the all-tournament team at both the Islander Tip-Off Tournament and the Caribbean Challenge. Morgan Johnson earned a spot on the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge all-tournament team.